Yet one more point that is just a little bit to the side of the thread. More related to ice travel than winter canoeing.

When going ice fishing we used to carry a long pole with an ice chisel on one end and a loop of light rope on the other end.
I seldom see these any more.
I see ice augers instead, often gas powered.

The ice chisel was for more than just chopping holes in the ice.
Carried under the arm it would catch you if you fell through.
If somebody else fell it gave you had something to reach and drag them out with.
It let you test the ice in front of you.

Wow, those ice-racing pictures are awesome. Further googling produces other fascinating details – thanks for the heads-up.






Well, normally you would not be able to reenter the canoe and bail it out, even with the ice shelf to hang on to.

Also, I would think there would be something of an urgency to get on shore, get a fire started and pitch camp. By postulating a drysuit, I don’t mean to imply a 33-degree survival suit. The typical paddler’s drysuit will only delay hypothermia in water this cold, not prevent it.

Here are the kinds of things I was thinking.

1. If there are woods nearby or even a tangled boulder pile, tie the free end of the 50-foot tow rope to one of the kayak paddles. Throw the paddle someplace where it is likely to become tangled when retrieved, and then pull back on the rope until it catches. Push the canoe and other gear up onto the ice so you can retrieve it from shore, and then pull yourself out with the help of the tow rope.

2. If the water next to the ice shelf is fairly shallow, say 4 feet, use the canoe as structure to climb. Detach all the gear from the canoe and push it up on the ice, where it can be retrieved from shore and isn’t in danger if you break more ice getting out. Lift one end of the canoe out of the water, planting the other end firmly on the bottom near the ice shelf, and angle the canoe a little toward the ice and shore. Reach up and grasp the gunnels or thwarts at about head level, and note other handholds above that point. Then rapidly pull yourself up the thwarts and gunnels with your hands until you get as much of your body as possible out of the water, and then throw yourself backwards onto the ice.

3. If a stump or rock or other suitable protuberance lies within 10-15 feet, detach all gear and push the empty canoe up onto the ice. Maneuver it so it is next to the protuberace and then flip it, so the open end of the canoe catches the protuberance. Then pull yourself out of the water by pulling hand over hand on the canoe.

4. As a last resort, if none of the “if” conditions above are true, push the loaded canoe up onto the ice next to where you want to get out. If the air temp is extremely cold, it might be helpful to let it sit there for 30-60 seconds so the slick, liquid path it followed will freeze a little bit, although you can’t wait long. Then make your usual “surge” effort to get out of the water on your own, kicking your feet and trying to push your body onto the ice, only at the last moment before losing momentum, reach over and pull hard on the canoe for an extra assist. If you’re lucky, this little bit extra might be enough to get you securely up onto the ice.

There are commercial versions of the ice pick that you hang around your neck available, I have a pair that were pretty inexpensive from Cabela's, but, they are a little extra insurance when ice fishing. These are made by South Bend, here's a promo picture: